Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough had previously determined that the “Byrd Rule” applied in this case. Because a reconciliation bill — a type of budget bill — requires only a simple majority of 51 votes for passage, the Byrd Rule imposes restrictions on what provisions can be included. Measures deemed to be “extraneous” to the budget must secure a supermajority of 60 votes to pass. As a result, the proposal to remove undocumented immigrants from Medicaid failed by just four votes. [More]
I especially like that part of the Constitution where it says she can infringe on the right to keep and bear arms and then our “gun rights leaders” call it a “next best win.”
[Via Michael G]
Tangentially Related UPDATE
There is also the argument that the remaining requirements for registration violate the Firearm Owners Protection Act… It includes a blanket prohibition on the creation of a federal registry of guns or gun owners. The NFA has survived this prohibition only because it is a tax. [More]
So, who has to do what, and will they?
